The Sunshine's Rays
by Xrissoula
Summary: UNDER REVISION: Please don't read
1. Finding Bankotsu

It had been almost a year since the downfall of Naraku, and the entire Inuyasha gang had settled down. Kagome was now the village priestess, and Inuyasha its protector, as well as Kagome's.

The two had finally given up on each other, realizing that they would never make it as a couple, seeing as Kagome resembled Kikyo so much. Inuyasha and Kagome never got over it and finally broke it off.

Kagome had finally become the protector of the Shikon no Tama, and carried it around her neck, as a sparkling necklace of pure pink, encircled with purified demon teeth as a string holding it all together.

When the gang had defeated Naraku, Kagome grew into herself. Her temper grew short and hot, and she lived her days training with Sango and Miroku. She would always answer questions with grunts or sighs. Whenever she was asked why she was acting like this, (By Inuyasha, he was the only one to ever ask) she would scream at him, and they would get into a heated fight. It would always end with Inuyasha apologizing, and Kagome would give him a death threat. He never challenged this, because she was no longer the Kagome he fell in love with such a long time ago.

She had her own hut, only being that it was the one that Kaede inhabited before she died. And in the short time in which she HAD lived after the death of Naraku, she taught Kagome everything she needed to know about the healing process, and all the herbs needed, also teaching her everything she needed to know about taking charge of the village. It was Kagome who every single villager came to for all of their problems. Kagome never complained, and took her duty to the village with great pride. Never ill tempered to anyone except Inuyasha, she was considered the most beautiful, smart, and skilled woman in their little village. She was also the object of many men in her village's lust. With her below hip length glistening hair, her long and elegant neck, and her soft yet curvy figure, which was complimented by her gorgeous miko outfit, consisting of a sweet shade of lavender for her hakama, and a haori embroidered with wisteria, with its vines seeming to wrap around her arms, chest, and waist. Gold bands encircled her wrists, and the upper parts of her arms. They covered the spots on her feet that would touch the graound, and had a headband of the same style on her head.

---

Kagome exited her hut, with a villager at her side begging her to rid the demon that was plaguing his fields. The darkness of the day was approaching fast.

"Ma'am, please, the harvest has not been good this year, and to have this vile beast eat all that my vegetation bears, my children will starve!"

"Be assured, villager, this demon will be disposed of."

"May Kami bless you! Thank you so much!" The man's smile was beginning to grow from ear to ear; he bowed, and turned to run to his hut to tell the good news to his wife.

"Villager," Kagome called out softly. The man stopped running and turned to face her. "Bring me the monk."

"Yes, Ma'am." He ran to where the Monk was known to be seen, in the demon slayer's hut.

Kagome walked back into her hut, and grabbed her bow and arrows. She walked over to a cabinet that Inuyasha had made for her, and took some cloth out. She sat down around the fire pit, and poked it with a metal fire poker that she had Totosai make for her. As soon as she was satisfied, she picked back up the cloths that she took out. She gingerly took each one, and wrapped it around her each of her knuckles, and started to work on the other hand, this time putting it them on her finger tips. She stood up, and walked over to the cabinet again, putting away all the unused cloths, and picked out a small container. She opened it up, turned in disdain away from the gross smell the paste gave off, and put it only on the fingers that would touch the tip of the arrow. She heard footsteps outside her door, and put her hand to the katana at her hip.

"Kagome, you wanted to see me?"

"Come on in, Miroku." He walked in, and as soon as she saw that it was him, she took her hands off of her katana. She offered him a cushion to sit on, and he complied, and she sat on another one opposite to him of the fire pit.

"A villager wants my help to rid a demon from his fields." Miroku sighed, because this was getting old to him.

"And I want you to help."

"What's the plan?"

"I want you to put sutras all around the fence to prevent any living creature other then human from entering or exiting. I will lure the demon to the outskirts of the fence, them purify it. The sutras are all I need you for."

"Alright."

"Ok then. Lets go." Kagome grabbed her quiver of arrows, slung it on her back, and took her bow, leading Miroku outside the hut.

---

When Miroku finished putting up the sutras, he waved Kagome goodbye. Kagome sat on the side of the post, ruffling through the folds of her haori, pulling out some salts, and scattered them around the fence. In not a matter of minutes, the culprit demon showed it's face behind a bush. She quickly pulled out an arrow, readied her bow, aimed, shot, and purified the medium sized demon before it had a chance to see her.

She sighed, thinking, _'Another pointless purification. I just wasted another arrow. I could have sliced that thing in half if I wanted to.'_

She turned around, and started to walk off. She looked back, and suddenly felt sorry for the little thing. She decied to go to where the demon was, and Kneeled down to where the body's ashes were. She prayed for it. She heard a sound to her right, and turned to it.

_'It sounds like breathing...'_ She slung her bow over her back, and put her hands to her katana. She walked over to the sound and found a man breathing heavily, and lying in a pool of his own blood.

_'Bankotsu!'_

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How was that? Yep Yep Yep, I BAAAAAAAAACK! I've decided to do a Ban(x)Kag fic. I've never done one before, yet I have read them... and I think it'll be fun!

Thankies!

Review!!!

(go to my profile to get a link directing you to pictures of wysteria and the outfit Kagome sports.)


	2. Awaken

Hey guys! I'm so sorry it took me this long to update! Things have been crazy!!! Pwease fowgive me????

Here's the long awaited... Chapter 2! OH YEAH!!!! And the reason that Kagome grew into herself, is because the WELL CLOSED AFTER THEY DEFEATED NARAKU. I accidentaly deleted that when I was editing the last chapter!!! hoops!

---

She rushed over to his side, kneeling down to where his bleeding body lay.

"Bankotsu?" She asked in slight desperation. She recieved no answer.

_'At least I know he's alive... But for how long, I'm not sure.' _She stood up, and yelled,

"Villager! Villager!"

Soon enough, the same man that had hired her for the purification arrived on swift feet.

"Yes Mi'la- by God! Who is that?" He said as soon as he saw Bankotsu lying there.

"There is no time to explain. Gather men you trust and help me carry him to my hut. Let no soul hear about this."

"Yes Mi'lady."

"Do not forget to carry that sword, too. It will take strong men."

"Yes, Mi'lady."

---

When the men had finished carrying Bankotsu to Kagome's hut, she thanked them and sent them on their way.

_'Now all that's left is to bandage his wounds...'_

Kagome walked over to Bankotsu and started to takeoff his armor...

_---_

Bankotsu shifted in his sleep. He opened his eyes and saw a ceiling...

_'Wait, I fainted in a forest...!'_

He sprang up, but was quickly stopped when he felt sharp pains in his abdomen. He looked down, and saw that he was bandaged over his stomach, hands, and, he looked under the covers, his legs. He realized that he was in another kimono, and looked at the hut . A fire pit in the middle, a cabinet on the wall next to him, and a bow with a set of arrows on the wall adjacent to him. He looked behind him, and saw a beautiful girl...

_'Soo beautiful...' _...Sleeping peacefully with her fist clenched over a katana at her side even in sleep.

The way her hair cascaded down her shoulders to the floor as it glistened from the moonlight streaming in the hut from the small skylight made Bankotsu's gut clench.

Her eyes slowly flutered open and caught Bankotsu's gaze. She stood up and said,

"I seen you've awaken. It took me forever to bandage your wounds. I would hate to have waisted all that time on a dying man."

Bankotsu tried to get up, but was pushed down by Kagome.

"Don't get up," She said. "You're wounds will open up."

"Woman, you look somewhat farmiliar. Who are you?"

"Kagome."

---

* * *

HAWR HAWR HAWR HAWR HAWR. idk if thats a cliffie, but I don't care! I'm leaving it there!

LoVe et!

ReViEw et!

Naoko


	3. Silhouette

WHOOOO! i'm soooo sorry It took so long to update. So, not to make you wait any longer, here's the third chapter!!!

* * *

"Inuyasha's wench!" He yelled as he reached for his banryu. As he grasped it, he stoop up to face Kagome, wincing every once in a while from the extensive wound.

"Don't call me that!" Kagome screamed.

"Don't yell at me, wench!" Bankotsu fired back. He fell to the floor the moment the air left his throat. As his hands clenched his gut, his eyes closed tightly & a gasp escaped his lips.  
Soon, his bandages flooded red. Kagome ran to his side, grabbing his shoulders.

"Bankotsu," She said in a hushed tone, "You can't move until your wounds heal. You'll bleed to death."

"Why should I listen to you?"

"Because I'm the only one who can heal you." Her eyes pleaded with him.

"How do I know that you wont try to kill me? Or that you'll tell Inuyasha you have me?"  
She took her hands off his shoulders.

"You don't, but I wont. I hate Inuyasha maybe more than you do. I haven't seen or spoke to him in over three months."

Bankotsu looked in her eyes, hard, and sighed.

"So he didn't mark you as his mate?"

"Hah, I like men. Not boys, no."

Bankotsu chuckled. "You're lucky I have a soft spot for pretty women." Kagome blushed. "Show me the nape of your neck."

Kagome stared him in the eyes, and huffed. She slowly pulled down her haori, exposing her flesh from the collarbone up. Bankotsu reached with shaky hands to her shoulders. He took one off to tilt her head both ways to see each nape of her neck. As she had told him, HE hadn't marked her.  
He blushed, and his hand dropped from her neck to her shoulder again. He looked in her eyes, being humbled by the genourous amount of flesh being showed to him. A slight shock ran through his spine, and his head plundged to hers. Kagome was taken aback, but let go into the kiss.

It was the silhouette of something to come.

* * *

ha! i'm not stopping it there! Just scarin ya!!!!

* * *

They both softly pulled back, and Bankotsu wrapped his arms around her.

"Bankotsu..." She said with shadowed eyes.

"Yeah...?" He returened chimericly. Their lips touched as the spoke. Kagome closed her eyes, and Bankotsu leaned back into her, his eyes drifting. He pressed his lips to hers, and slid his hands around her waist.

After a long moment, Kagome broke the kiss.

"I have to go get dinner." She whispered. She pulled back, and walked out the door.

* * *

NOOOWWW I'm evil. That's the end of this chapter!!!! GOD! I know, I being really stupid! I NEEED to write longer chapters!!!!!! I promise the next chapter will be LONGER!!!

Read it!

Love it!

REVIEW IT!!!!!!

Naoko


	4. Break down

OHMIGAWD, I HAVE SOOOO MUCH HOMEWORK!!!! I'm sorry it's taken me this long!!! Without further ado, here's the fourth chapter!

* * *

Kagome rushed out of the hut. 'Where did that come from?' She asked herself. She walked further and further out of the village, and into the Inuyasha forest. 

As she walked around aimlessly, she watched all of her surroundings with suspiscion. Her moves were swift and light, ready for anything. A branch shifted. She stopped walking.

"Inuyasha, come out. I can sense your aura." The branch shifted again, and out from it, Inuyasha jumped down and gracefully set foot on the ground infront of her.

"Kagome, its been a while." He said coyly.  
'Dont say my name.' She thought.

"Don't be lewd with me. You've been checking up on me for months." She lamented.

"Don't YOU be so LEWD with me! What's this I hear about you rescuing a warrior? Was it Bankotsu?"

"How did you-"

"So it IS him!" He yelled out.

"Are YOU the one who did that to him?" She yelled.

"What buisness of it is yours? He's the ENEMY!"

"Yeah! Before YOU killed Naraku and sealed the well! Before MY life was over! When everything was still okay! When I could still see my family! BACK WHEN I LOVED YOU AND BEFORE YOU BROKE MY HEART!" Inuyasha blinked and his eyes went wide. Kagome gasped at her last statement and swipe her hand up to her face to cover her mouth. Inuyasha grabbed her hand before she could complete the action.

"Back when you wHaT?" He choked out. He grabbed both of her wrists tightly and pullled her close to him.

Kagome looked down in shame.

"You... loved me..." Inuyasha gasped. "...Kagome..." He embraced her with all the strenghth he had in him. Kagome had no choice but to return his embrace. After all, her love of Inuyasha still lingered, and her pain seemed to ooze out of her body the tighter he held her... She just let go all of her fears.

'Don't say my name!' She thought.

Inuyasha buried his face into her neck.

'She still smells the same... Lilacs and figs. Gods how I missed this scent'

* * *

Bankotsu was starting to get antsy. 

'Where is that stupid wench?' He thought impatiently. She had been gone now for over an hour.

He shifted his spot in the hut and huffed loudly. "Stupid wench..." He repeated out loud.

* * *

Kagome pulled her head out of Inuyasha's chest. She stared up into his eyes, and filled her body with his presence. 

'This feels so...right.' She thought. 'Im in Inuyasha's arms, but... At the same time I know that it wont work out. But I love him so much! This isn't fair!' Kagome's eyes began to sing, and they glossed over with tears that were threatening to fall.

Inuyasha noticed this, and pulled her chin up so that he could look her in the eyes.

"What is it Kagome?" He asked.

'DON'T say my name!'

That was it. That was her breaking point. He said her name, again. Kagome's knees gave way and she fell down crying, her body over taken by sobs that wraked her body. Inuyasha kneeled down to her level.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha repeated.

"AH!" She screamed.

Shaking, Kagome gasped out, "I-Inuyash-sha, it isn't fair."

"What's not fair?" He inquired.  
Kagome looked up to face him, her cheeks drenched in tears and her eyes redening.

"I still love you, yet I hate you all the same..." His mouth gaped. "And even now," She continued, "My heart aches, and its breaking. It not fair." she took in a shaky breath. "I have what I had wanted so long ago, and I know that I... I CAN'T have you, and you CAN'T have me. We both know why." Inuyasha let go of her and stood up.

"Inuyasha, why I can't let myself be with you, I just don't know. But the longer you stand here, the deeper the tear in my heart becomes."

Without another word, Inuyasha turned around and ran off.

Kagome watched him leave, and felt her heart rip in two.

"I LOVE YOU!" She screamed. Her head sank down, and she started crying again. Her wall, the one that she had put up, the one that she had spent MoNtHs trying to strengthen, had been annihilated. J Was she really this weak? Was she really so weak that him gracing his lips with her name could break down her wall?

She loved him. She still loved him, and she was weak.

Kagome's body continued to heave, and she screamed from the pain emmiting from her chest.

'The pain is unbearable.' She thought.

Her tears stopped, and she started to hyperventilate.

"Oh-Kami-What-Am-I-Going-To-Do...?"

She screamed again, and stopped hyperventilating. The tear flow slowed, and after a moment she wiped away the last of her tears.

"Kagome, this is not how you want it to be... Pull yourself together." She stood up, brushed off her hakama, slung her bow back over her shoulder, and walked deeper into the forest.

A lone tear slid down her cheek.

'Oh Kami, how my heart still yearns for him...'

* * *

Back in the hut, Bankotsu had gotten so tired of waiting for Kagome to return, he fell asleep with a grimace staining his face.

* * *

As Kagome walked deeper into the forest, she looked for the auras of wild boars, just to feed the stomach of the vulgar man she had in her care. 

To the left, she could sense a deer, to her right, a rabbit, and behind her, sleeping, was her prize.

She whipped out her bow, and faster then the speed of sound, she aimed, and fired her arrow at the sleeping boar. The arrowhead penetrated the boar's skull, and before it could yelp, it was over taken by death.

She walked toward it's now dead body, and grabbed its neck, and pulled.

"AH!" She yelped, and all too quickly realized that it was much to heavy for her.

'I didn't want to have to do this... It takes up so much of my chakra! Oh, but its my only choice.'

Kagome let go of the boar, assumed a praying position.

A pure blue aura silhouetted her body, and when it was thicker than her arrowshafts, it shot out from her hands and hit the boar. The boar's body was then coated with the blue aura just like Kagome, and then, the boar started to levitate.

Kagome opened her eyes, and looked at her handiwork.

"Gosh I'm cool!" She squeeled happily.

She headed home, and wherever she went, the levitating boar followed.

As she walked, she started thinking of ways to spice the meat.

* * *

When she entered the hut, she found Bankotsu sleeping like a baby on her futon. She sighed, and manipulated the boar to sit next to the fire pit. The fire had died long ago, and she zapped the pit, and it burst into flame. 

Bankotsu turned over in his sleep. His eyes fluttered open, and he yawned.

"It's about time you got back." He said. "I was starting to think I would go hungry."

Kagome paid no mind to his self centered comment, and began to skin the dead boar.

"Got to the cabinet, and bring me some cloth." She commanded.  
Bankotsu frowned.

"I'm not your slave, you know."

"But I'm healing you. So, you owe me. Now stop bickering and get me the cloth."

He scoffed, and got up. He walked over to the cabinet, and opened it.  
His eyes grew wide, and he slapped his hand to his nose.

"MM M MMM M MT MMMML?" He yelled.

"Excuse me?" She said.  
Bankotsu took his hand off of his mouth and nose.

"What the HELL is that smell?" He repeated, this time more clearly.

"That is the smell of ointments, decaing demon bones, acids, and, grease for my hands, so that I don't hurt myself while I shoot arrows."

"KAMI, that stinks." He gasped out. "Where are these cloths?" He asked.

"Behind that small red vase. Be sure that you don't spill it. It'll melt your skin." Bankotsu payed heed to her statement, and was carefull not even to touch the vase.

He got the cloths, and gave them to her, then neatly ploping right next to her.

Kagome got up, and grabbed a bunch of metal pokers, and set them standing up next to the pit.

* * *

It took her half an hour to skin the boar, and now the choice peices of meat were cooking on the pokers. Bankotsu was getting very impaient, and her was ready to explode. 

"OOOOOKAY, I'm really hungry, and im tired of waiting. I don't care if the stupid peices of meat are raw or not, I'm hungry. Don't try and stop me"  
He reached for the meat, adn found no resistance from Kagome.

"Do what you want, the meat's done." She siad calmly.

Bankotsu frowened, and picked up the meat, grabbing only his fair share, and handing Kagome hers. Kagome took teh meat, and thanked him. she set it down on the extra cloth she had, and took one poker. She stared at it.

By now, Bankotsu had scarfed down the remaining meat, and looked at Kagome, who seemed deep in thought.

"Ya know," He said, snapping Kagome out of her thoughts, "If you don't finish that, you'll be skinnier than you already are. And I'll eat it for you."

'Typical.' Kagome thought, 'Inuyasha used to say the same thing.' She looked up at him, and stared, her vision focusing in and out.

She felt her body shaking, and then, balckness.

* * *

hahhahahha, uh, I think that was a cliffie!!!!

Read it!

Love it!

Review it!

Naoko


	5. Crisis

**Allo, my loyal readers!!! Well, I have to apologize for my long absence. I can't seem to keep up with my homework… But I'm still managing my grades **_**(Yeah. Me. Managing my grades. I know what you're thinking. So don't say it.)**_**! U-G-H! But, knowing how much irritated **_**I**_** get when authors don't "Update Soon"; I'm going to try to devote my Sunday evenings to getting my stories done, or at least updated. Oh Yes! Don't forget to read my note at the end of this chapter. I've got a big surprise for all of you!!! Lucky lucky you. **

Naraku's mauve miasma cleared, and Kagome coughed. She looked around her, and saw Inuyasha's arms around her waist, flying up in the air. She looked down, and watched Sango riding Kirara come out of nowhere and throwing her Hirikotso at Kagura, and Miroku, who was holding onto Sango, threw sutras at Naraku. The sutras hit Naraku's body and gave out sparks as they dissolved.

"Inuyasha." Kagome said. Inuyasha looked down at her and smiled, and looked down at Naraku. _'He looks like a god when he smiles...'_ Kagome followed his gaze, and looked down at Naraku, who was fighting off Koga and Sesshomaru's attacks. She looked around her as they were descending, and saw Kohaku holding Shippo, with Ayame grasping onto him tight beyond the battlefield. Sango commanded Kilala to back off, and they charged Kagura. Kagura released what Kagome recognized as the dance of blades, and Kilala dodged it. She had made such a sudden swing, Miroku fell off.

Inuyasha saw this, and hit the ground, and sailed toward Miroku and caught him.

"Thanks Inuyasha, I owe you one." Inuyasha looked down at the cheap faced Miroku, and laughed.

"You owe me a lot more than one, Houshi." Inuyasha jumped up to Kilala, and set Miroku on her. "You guys be careful. Kagome and I are going to attack him from the front. You guys get Sesshomaru and Koga to move a bit over to the left and you guys attack from behind."

Miroku nodded, and patted Kilala on her hind leg. They took off, and headed to the back side of Naraku. Inuyasha ran to the front of Naraku, and set Kagome down. Kagome looked at the connote face of Naraku. _'It's the end for you, Naraku.' _She stared at Naraku and thought of all the ways that he had ruined her friends' lives. He had killed all Sango's family, scratch Kohaku; he had killed Koga's kin, almost annihilated Ayame's tribe, bestowed onto Miroku's family a curse that was slowly killing him, had pitted Kikyo and Inuyasha against each other, and had killed Kikyo.

Her vision went out of focus, and she heard a familiar voice repeatedly call her name. She closed her eyes and drifted, searching for the voice, realizing that it wasn't around her.

She felt someone tap lightly on her shoulder, and she opened her eyes. She looked up to Inuyasha, and he looked confused.

"Don't give up on me now, Kagome. This is the day that we destroy Naraku and send him to the seventh hell. Pay attention."

Kagome huffed. "What's the plan?" Inuyasha stiffened, and looked down at her.

"Kagome, I need you to use one of your sacred arrows to break the barrier Naraku just put up. Then I'm going to use the Wind Scar to try to get rid of that worthless basturd. Do you think you can hit the mark?"

"Yeah." Kagome reached back in the quiver she had slung over her shoulder. _'One arrow left. There's no room for error.'_ She readied her bow, and aimed for the center of the barrier.

"Inuyasha, I'm ready." Inuyasha looked down at her and smiled. She visibly shivered.

He turned his attention to Naraku. Once Sesshomaru and Koga were out of the way, he and Kagome looked at each other. They nodded.

"Go!" Kagome yelled as she released the arrow, and with it a massive amount of spiritual energy. As the arrow hit the barrier, it dissipated at once. But the arrow didn't stop there. It went past the defeated barrier and purified the miasma surrounding Naraku, and hit him. It tore through half of his body, leaving Naraku a floating head. Miroku attacked Naraku's severed body from the back, and sucked it up with his Wind Tunnel. Inuyasha took this opportunity and charged Naraku with the Tetsuaiga drawn.

"Die, Naraku!" he yelled as he unleashed the wind scar.

Kagome's body pulsed as she watched Naraku's body dissipate.

His ashes flew away in the dust.

Someone screamed, and Kagome's head turned toward it. It was Kagura. Kagome had almost forgotten. Naraku had held Kagura's heart. If Naraku dies, so does Kagura. Kagome watched Kagura fall to the ground.

Kagome looked over to Inuyasha, who was shell shocked. He was breathing heavily, and pale.

She ran over to him, and hugged him tight.

"Inuyasha, we did it!" She hugged him tighter. He looked down at her, and smiled that cocky smile that she new all to well. He hugged her back, and his smile went even deeper. He pulled back, and looked deep in her eyes, and whispered in a husky voice,

"Hell ya we did." He looped his face down, and put his mouth next to her ear. He kissed the side of her cheek, and pulled back. Kagome beamed, and jumped about happily.

"We did it! We did it! We Did It!" Kagome jumped all the way over to Sango, who she hugged, and began jumping around with her.

Kagome screamed out happily, and ran over to Shippo, and gave him a big hug.

"Kagome, is it really over?" He said.

"Oh Shippo!" She squealed out. "Yeah, can you believe it?"

Miroku gave Sango a big hug, and kissed her forehead. "Sango, look at my hand!" he yelled. "The Wind Tunnel is gone!" Sure enough, when Sango looked down at his hand, it really was gone. Sango took his hand and kissed it.

"That means that none of your descendants will have it either!" Miroku brought Sango close to him, and kissed her.

Kagome finished squeezing Shippo, and gave him back to Kohaku.

"Kohaku, I'm sure that you'll be happy." Kohaku smiled, and Kagome gave him a quick kiss on the nose. She ran back to Inuyasha, who was watching the sun go down. He had the littlest smirk on his face. Kagome stood next to him, and held onto his arm as she watched it with him. She turned her head when she heard laughing, only to see that it was Ayame, with Koga twirling her around. _'Now they're going to unite tribes, and regain their former glory. Koga has finialy avenged his kin.' _Kagome smiled, and tightened her grip on Inuyasha's arm. He turned to her, and pulled her close, as they stood side ways, watching the end of their miseries wash away with the setting sun. Inuyasha rested his head against atop Kagome's. Kagome buried her head in Inuyasha's neck, and sighed.

"Inuyasha, what now?"

"You can only go through the well one more time. Either you leave for your time, or you stay with me, forever..." Kagome looked up at Inuyasha, whose gaze bore into her eyes. They were filled with... Hope. "Kagome," he said, trying to pull at her conscience, "Stay with me. I beg you," He buried his face into her neck. "I don't want you to leave; I mean, think of Shi-" Kagome put her index finger to his lips to silence him.

"Shhhhhh, Inuyasha, I'll stay. I love my family, but I have a family here, too."

"Kagome." He strained. He put his hands on her cheeks, and kissed her forehead. He then kissed her temples, the bridge of her nose, and then her upper lip. Kagome put her hands on his chest. He placed a hand on the back of her neck as his other arm encircled her waist. "Kagome..." he whispered. He kissed her.

After a few heated moments, Kagome pulled back.

"Inuyasha, I almost forgot." She disentangled herself from his arms and ran over to where Naraku had "stood" in his last moments. She searched for it in her psyche, and when her body pulsed, she turned to her left and found it.

"The sacred jewel." She picked it up and looked over to Inuyasha. He nodded. Kagome ran over to Koga, who stopped hugging Ayame when he saw what she had in her hand. The unfinished Sacred Jewel. His face hardened, but he understood. He bent down and pushed down his animal skin leggings. He readied his claws, and at the same time he sliced both shins. He fished around for only a second, and brought out both Sacred Jewel fragments. He cleaned his blood off of them, and handed the two to Kagome. Kagome smiled, and he nodded. She grasped the shards, and assumed a prayer position. Inside her hands was Naraku's jewel, and Koga's shards. She closed her eyes, and began to think hard. Not before long, a pinkish glow enveloped her hands. The glow faded and Kagome opened her eyes. She presented the jewel to Koga. It was almost complete. All it took now was the three shards she carried around her neck, and... Kohaku's...

She smiled and bowed to Koga and Ayame.

"Thank you for being so willing, Koga."

"Kagome, it's not a problem. Now that Naraku is dead, I won't need those." Kagome smiled, and turned to Ayame.

"I expect that you two are going to be mates?" Ayame blushed, and then beamed.

"Yes," Ayame said, clearly embarrassed with what "Mating" entails. "We'll begin the ceremonies once the courting rituals and trials are done."

"How long will that take? A month?" Kagome was genuinely ignorant.

"Ha," Ayame laughed. "a year a least!"

"Oh jeez! I had no idea it took that long!" Kagome and Ayame laughed together, and Koga just smiled. "Well, if you two every need a babysitter," She elbowed Ayame in the side a few times and raised her eyebrows suggestively. "you know who to send for!" Kagome and Ayame giggled.

Kagome patted Ayame on the shoulder.

"Oh," Kagome gasped out as she was trying to dispel the chuckles, "I'll see you guys around." She patted Ayame on the shoulder one or two more times and walked off. She turned around a few steps later, and then waved. They waved back, and walked to the middle of the old battlefield. She took out the Sacred Jewel and fused it together with the three remaining shards she had. When she looked at the finished product, two names came to mind.

Sango and Kohaku...

She looked around and saw Sango hugging Kohaku.

'_What if Kohaku can't live without the jewel shard in his back? I might be able to create an alternate life source, but that will take time, and the jewel must be purified now.'_

"Sango," Kagome said as she approached the two. "I need to talk to you." Sango nodded, and whispered something to Kohaku. He left and went in the direction of Rin.

"Sango, I need the shard that's in his back." Sango turned to look at Kohaku. Rin was hugging him.

"Kagome, if I take out the shard, what happens to him?"

"He might live. If not... I don't know." Kagome decided to leave the alternate life source out, because she knew it was a lost cause. There was simply no time.

"I think he'll live, what if when you take the shard out, we get Sesshomaru to use the Tetseiga?!" she asked desperately.

"Sango, I... That just might work!" Kagome ran over to Sesshomaru as Sango did to Kohaku.

"Sesshomaru," She asked, "Can you save Kohaku's life?" Sesshomaru turned to her.

"Why?" He asked coldly.

"Doesn't he have a right to life?" Sesshomaru walked over to Kohaku, and talked to him. Kohaku nodded his head, and he followed Sesshomaru over back to Kagome. Kohaku lied down on his stomach, and Kagome removed his shirt. She felt around on his left shoulder blade until she felt a distinct bump. She pulled out Kohaku's scythe, and pierced the skin where it was easily accessible.

Kohaku gasped, but then he stopped breathing. Kagome pushed herself back, and Sesshomaru swiped not a second later. Kohaku took in a sharp breathe, and opened his eyes.

"It worked!" Sango yelled out. She dove for Kohaku and gave him a large squeeze. Kagome took the last shard and tried to fuse it together. It wouldn't go.

'_Maybe I need Kikyo.' _Kagome said her goodbyes to all the people still left in the battlefield, and made her way over to Inuyasha, who was talking to Miroku.

"Inuyasha, I'm going." Inuyasha stopped talking to Miroku, and was taken aback.

"But I thought that you were going to stay in this era with me!" Miroku looked shocked.

"Lady Kagome, is this true?"

"Yes Miroku, it is. Inuyasha... I'm going to see someone. I won't be gone for long." Inuyasha's expression changed.

"Okay. Just don't get yourself killed."

Kagome bowed to Miroku, and waked off. She headed toward Sango.

"Sango, can I borrow Kilala?"

"Yeah, what for?"

"I need her to find Kikyo. She and I are the only ones who can complete the Jewel."

"Alright. Kilala." Kilala transformed, and Kagome hopped onto her back.

"Thanks, Sango. Goodbye!" Kilala and Kagome flew off into the air.

It didn't take too long, because Kagome had known from experience that wherever Inuyasha was, Kikyo would always be following not too far behind. She looked down, and saw soul collectors. _'Found you.'_ She thought.

"Kilala, follow those demons." Kilala growled, and followed the demon all the way below the tree line, until it led her to a large tree, where Kikyo seemed to be sleeping. Kilala touched ground, and Kagome jumped off. Kilala transformed back.

"Kilala, go wait over there." Kagome shooed Kilala over to the nearest bush where she cuddled up to a stray branch. Kagome walked over to the low branch that Kikyo was sleeping on and knocked on the trunk.

"You didn't have to do that, I was already awake. I've been waiting for you."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know. I guess you know why I'm here."

"To complete the Jewel of Four souls."

"Yeah."

"You couldn't put it together yourself?"

"No, and I don't know why. Since you're so more experienced in this stuff, I thought that you'd be able to help."

"In that you are right. But I need you just the same."

"What do you mean?"

"We are the only two people who can complete the Jewel."

"Why?"

"It'll all be explained when we start. Come up here and we'll try." Kagome climbed up the tree and sat on the same branch that Kikyo was on. She sat close enough so that they could put their hands together.

Kikyo put her hands up, and Kagome gave her the incomplete Sacred Jewel, and Kagome held up the last shard. They put their hands together, and a bright light enveloped their hands. The light grew, and it took hold of their bodies. Once the glow was all around them, crackles of energy sparked around them.

"Kagome, no matter how much it hurts, don't let go!" Sparks flew all around them. It was a pink spark, but their bodies were enveloped in blue. The sparks were going out of control.

"What kind of sparks are these?!?" Kagome had to turn her head violently to escape her face from being burned. Her hands were, but she had to obey Kikyo.

The sparks stopped, and Kagome opened her eyes. She and Kikyo were surrounded by a blue barrier. "Kikyo, what's going on?" Kikyo still had her eyes closed.

"Midoriko is calling out for us."

"Who?"

"The shrine maiden that created the Sacred Jewel. Hers is one of the Four Souls in the Sacred jewel."

"Oh. Yeah. Sango told me."

"The girl from the Demon Slayer's village?"

"Yes."

"That's where the Jewel was created."

"Yeah." Just then the barrier exploded into a black gas. The black gas imploded, and then turned into a hole.

Kikyo opened her eyes and looked at the hole. The hole started to expand, and Kikyo jumped in. Kagome followed in pursuit.

Kagome fell, and stumbled to her feet. She saw Kikyo walking in front of her. She looked around, and kept on walking. Nothing. Just nothing. There was a bright light ahead of her, where she and Kikyo were waking. She ran to catch up to Kikyo, and over stepped and fell. A blue light surrounded her fallen body and levitated her. She tried to scream, but no sound came out. She was pulled toward the light with Kikyo following not far behind.

When the light stopped, Kagome was put on her feet, and she looked forward to where the light had come from. A woman appeared. She was standing around a font, with swirling lighted water. Swirling with colors, it was overwhelmingly beautiful. Kagome stood adjacent to the Priestess. She was dressed in tattered and worn battle styled miko outfit.

"Are you Midoriko?"

The woman didn't pull her head up to look at Kagome. Kikyo made her way over to the other side of her.

"Yes. And you are my reincarnation." Midoriko looked up and faced Kikyo. "So are you."

"I thought Kagome was my reincarnation."

"Close. Like I said. She is my reincarnation, and so are you. Kagome," She said, turning away from Kikyo and to her, "You are my direct reincarnation. You have my blood and will inherit all of my powers when The Jewel is purified. Kikyo," She turned to her, "You are the reincarnation of my other reincarnation's reincarnation." She paused and went back to her white font. "You are both in love with the same man. Strange. Quite strange. But not so much a coincidence. You both fell in love with the same soul that I did."

"Are you saying that you were in love with Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.

"No," She said. "That's not it. Inuyasha is the reincarnation of the man that I loved. He was my downfall. Just as he was Kikyo's." Kikyo stiffened. "Kikyo, do you not believe that when you fell in love with Inuyasha, your powers weakened? Because Naraku did. Kikyo, Kagome, you can't fall in love." She tightened her grip on the rim of the font. "It _was_ my downfall. Do you really think that the Priestess Midoriko, who was declared to have deity status, would fall in battle against a three low life demons? Don't be so malicious." She closed her eyes. "I was in love. Being in love with mortals," She paused, "and demons, not to mention half demons, will alter your state of mind. A priestess is supposed to honor none other than the gods she serves. Falling in love and serving someone you would put your life on the line for is and act punishable by death from the gods. That is why I died, that is why Kikyo died, also why she is tied to this plane by hatred, and that is why you will die, Kagome. If you follow the mistakes we made with our consciences, you will die in battle, just like us. Kikyo may not have died in a battle per say, but she was at war with Naraku, even though she may not have realized. When you value someone else's life above your own, you value your life less than you deserve." She paused, loosened her grip on the font, and her face softened. "His name was Kostaku. He was a samurai. He was the son of the head warrior of the village I was from. We met when he wanted me to exorcise a demon from his sister's body. He was such a good brother... We had fought in the war together. In the middle of it, his father had arranged a marriage for him. We had already pledged ourselves to each other. But his father had set the marriage date for sometime after the temple priests had predicted the war would end. We had decided to run away when the war had seemed like a sure victory. We were so in love... But the gods caught up with me. We were going to abandon everyone that we owed our lives to just to satisfy our selfish hearts." She swirled her finger around in the lighted and colored waters. "I'm still in love with him." She smiled, and all too quickly her face hardened. "We were on our way out of the battlefield, when we went through the cave. Four demons followed us, and Kostaku killed one of them. The other three pursued me, and Kostaku was trying to kill them. They knocked his weapon out of his hands... I loved him so much. I loved him so much, that I created the sacred jewel to save his life in exchange for mine. I had to entrap the demons' souls, and my souls in my heart, because I loved him enough to let him go. I wanted him to live on, even though I couldn't do it with him. But that's not what happened. As I was dying, he was screaming something, but I couldn't hear him. I read his lips, and he was screaming, 'No! Don't do this! We can run! We can be happy! I'd rather die than watch you! I Love you!' I would have obeyed him, but it was too late. All I could do was watch as he cried, and begged me to stop. He was so upset, that I couldn't watch his face. My heart broke, and I wanted to die. And that's what happened. I've been trapped in this jewel, my crystallized soul, ever since. He went on to marry the girl that his father arranged. One of their descendants was Onigumo. Kikyo, that's why he was so drawn to you, because you had my soul. So, technically, Inuyasha and Naraku are related... Fate is a twisted wench, isn't she?"

Kagome and Kikyo were in awe of all the information that had been placed before them.

"I'm so sorry." Kagome said. She went up to Midoriko to put her hand on her shoulder. He hand went right through her.

"You fool," Midoriko said hastily. "have you not been paying attention? This makeshift body is just a projection of my soul... Sorry for my rudeness."

"Oh, no. It's not a problem. I understand."

"Kagome, you shouldn't love Inuyasha. It'll only end in pain."

"The same goes for you, Kikyo. Now back to what you both came here for. Give me the shards." Kagome and Kikyo handed her the remnants of the Jewel. Midoriko made short work of fusing her jewel back together. She handed Kagome the completed jewel. "Kagome, when you and Kikyo purify the jewel, I will entrust you with all of my powers. When you get them, you will immediately be given with the knowledge of how to use them. Kikyo, I will give you your human body back, and I will not strip you of your powers. Girls, be careful. The world will hate you for your power, and beauty." Kagome and Kikyo bowed in reverence.

"Thank you, High Priestess Midoriko." They both got up from their deep bow, and began to purify the jewel of the three demon souls that Midoriko had entrapped in it. The jewel turned white, and Kagome knew that the jewel had been purified of the demons. The font dissipated, and she felt alien things invade her mind. Not a second later, Kagome and Kikyo returned to the branch on the tree, and had seen their bodies still in the positions that they had left them in. _'It's as if time had stopped for us!' _Kagome felt her soul get pulled back into her body, and everything turned black. She opened her eyes, and she saw Kikyo patting herself all over her body, and gasping hysterically.

"My body is alive!"

"Congratulations, Kikyo, you're alive again." Kagome hopped off the branch and went over to Kilala, who was alert. "C'mon Kilala, its time to go back." Kilala transformed, and Kagome hopped on her back. "Goodbye, Kikyo."

"Goodbye, Kagome." Kilala flew off into the sky, and they headed to the battlefield.

'_I could never stop loving Inuyasha, Midoriko. I'm sorry.'_

The next season was a relief from the summer heat. Cool days, but even cooler nights. The sun had started to set earlier, and people were staying up "later" to prepare for the Fall Harvest. Kagome had just left the fields with Inuyasha, getting all of the vegetables that she was going to use. When she was in high school, she took a home economics class for credits. She had learned cooking styles from around the world. Today, she was trying to remember how to cook Greek food. She knew that Inuyasha might not like it, but she had thought that learning what he didn't like now would save her for later.

"Inuyasha, while you're hunting for that wild pig, take the go take the stew pot to the stream and clean it."

"Aw, c'mon! I did that last week."

"Yeah, but I hunted last week. You live in that hut" She pointed to their humble abode. "too, Inu."

"Fine, _Kag_, but only because you're a terrible hunter, and want to eat more meat than vegetables." He laughed, and kissed Kagome's cheek. Kagome blushed, and went toward their hut to ready the vegetables. She turned back to see him leave, and decided to play a trick on him. She hadn't shown him her new powers yet, but wasn't going to now. She dissipated, and reappeared stark behind Inuyasha. His ears twitched, and he his body stiffened. He turned around, and yelped.

"Kagome! How'd you get there?" Kagome stared up at him with big and innocent eyes.

"I just walked." She said and turned around.

"Oh no you don't." He said as he pulled her arm and spun her to him. Her eyes were big and showed mock innocence. "Kagome. How did you do that?"

"Ill nev-" Inuyasha cut her off with a kiss.

Inuyasha walked in with the pig. He had already given her the pot, because that was the easiest thing to do. He threw it next to her.

"Kagome, that smells delici-" Inuyasha recognized the scent. His face changed color, and then he put on a mask. "I'll be right back." He left the hut in a hurry.

'_I knew I felt her aura,' _Kagome thought. _'but I didn't think he would go and see her,'_

Inuyasha ran through the forest, searching for Kikyo. He was surprised by the change in her scent. In a moment, he was facing Kikyo's backside.

Kikyo sensed his presence, and her body tensed. Her right hand was frisking with the spot that her arrowhead pierced Inuyasha's heart and is currently lodged. She pricked her finger and it bled.

"I knew you'd come." She said. Her voice was shaky.

Inuyasha's body became rigid, and his eyes widened as his pupils narrowed. Kikyo moved her head counter clockwise to face him. Realization struck Inuyasha the moment he smelt her blood.

"K-Kikyo," he said, dazed, "You're alive."

Inuyasha tore to her, and grabbed her by her shoulders. He felt the warmth that she had, and gasped. "Kikyo, you're really alive." He embraced her, and buried his head in her neck. "How did this happen?"

"Inuyasha," Kikyo said, "I told you once before. When Naraku made me despise you, and I followed you in death, only my body died." She paused, and hugged Inuyasha back. "When Kagome and I purified the Jewel of Four souls, the High Priestess Midoriko told us something. Kagome is not my reincarnation. She is a direct reincarnation of Midoriko."

"But then how come she looks like you? And how was she born with the Sacred Jewel embedded in her flesh? Didn't it get burned with _your_ body?"

"That is because I am a reincarnation of the second line of reincarnations of Midoriko. Kagome is a _direct_ reincarnation. We share some-what of the same soul. And since the Jewel was purified, I got "my" soul back, and so did Kagome. And for some reason, when I got my soul back, Midoriko entrusted her powers with Kagome, and gave me my living body. Do you know what this means Inuyasha?"

His face was vacant for answers.

"That means that I've been given a second chance at life!" Tears dripped slowly from her eyes. Inuyasha hugged her tighter.

"Kikyo!" He was jubilant.

"Now we can live together." Kikyo said. Inuyasha pulled back, and kissed her.

Inuyasha returned to his hut an hour and a half after he left. The sun had fallen two hours ago. Kagome was sitting on her futon, reading a book that she had brought with her the last time that she went through the well. Kagome knew, she knew that he had seen her, and she knew that he now knew everything that had transpired those few months ago.

Inuyasha sat down next to her, trying to look completely innocent.

Kagome moved away from him.

Inuyasha looked at her strange... His face was the usual cocky mask that he wore, but his eyes betrayed his prior actions to her. Inuyasha opened his mouth to say something, but Kagome shook her head in a negative fashion.

"You went to see her, didn't you?"

"Why didn't you tell me that she was _alive_?"

"So it's true. I felt her presence. I can sense her aura…on you…You kissed her." She looked at the floor, and her bangs concealed her eyes. She dropped her book. Inuyasha's eyes widened.

"Kagome…" He said.

"Don't say my name…" She whispered. "You still love her." She looked up at him, tears brimmed her eyes, threatening to fall.

"Kagome…" He recurred, and in the same tone.

"Don't say my name." She said, this time louder. "You traitor…" a single tear fell from her eye.

"Kagome..." he strained.

"Don't say my name!" she shrieked. She stood up quickly, and covered he face with her hands as she ran out of the hut. _'How could you?' _She ran into the darkness of the night. She didn't stop for a while.

The darkness faded into a black laced with reds, and she felt her body shake.

"Kagome," Bankotsu said as he shook her, and tried to wake her up.

He had started to get scared, because her eyes dripped with tears, and she was saying something that he was unable to make out. Her face looked pained.

"Kagome?" Her eyes fluttered open, still dripping tears; she shot up, and screamed,

"DON'T SAY MY NAME!" Bankotsu immediately recognized this as what she had whispered so many times. Kagome looked around her, realizing that it was all a dream, and brought her hands to her face as she sobbed into the night for re-living memories she had tried well and hard to forget...

**Like, OHMIYGAWD! That was the single longest chapter I have EVER written. It took me three days to plan and six and a half to write!!! You all had better love it!!! Its 14 friggen pages long!!!! Do you have any idea how hard and painstaking it is to (not to mention it huwt my bwain) TYPE AND EDIT THIS SUMA BICH??? **

**Oh well. It's not your fault. I'm not being paid. I'm doing this for fun. Har har har. And here's your surprise. I was in English class, and we were doing something with fraises and clauses, and linking verbs and helping verbs and blah blah blah, and I came up with an idea for a story to publish after I'm done with this one (which may take a while) . It sounded good in my head, but tell me what you think!**

_**Running from the rain**_

**Have you ever stood in the middle of a big open field right before it rains? You wait for it to start, and then you try to find the front line. Then, as the storm progresses, you run, and you keep running from the rain... (Inu **_**x **_**Kag)**

"**Running from the rain" has always been used as an analogy when you mean that you're running from the truth, so that should give you somewhat of an idea as to what it'll be about.**

'**Till next time!**

**Read it**

**Love it**

**Review et, betch.**

**Naoko**


	6. Poisonous blood

**Oh, herro! I'm sorry for my LONG absence. I've been busy. In other news, guess what January 8****th**** was? My 14****th**** birthday! Yeah me!!!! And, um, I'd like it if you could forget that he kissed her in the first chapter. Seriously. It did nothing for the plot, and it was totally out of character. Thank you for understanding.**

**Re-cap**

_The darkness faded into a black laced with reds, and she felt her body shake. _

"_Kagome," Bankotsu said as he shook her, and tried to wake her up._

_He had started to get scared, because her eyes dripped with tears, and she was saying something that he was unable to make out. Her face looked pained._

"_Kagome?" Her eyes fluttered open, still dripping tears; she shot up, and screamed,_

"_DON'T SAY MY NAME!" Bankotsu immediately recognized this as what she had whispered so many times. Kagome looked around her, realizing that it was all a dream, and brought her hands to her face as she sobbed into the night for re-living memories she had tried well and hard to forget..._

"Kagome?" His voice was strained, frustrated. She got up, and wiped the tears off her face. She straitened herself out, and wiped her hands on a cloth that she took out from her kimono.

"This never happened, are we clear?" She didn't even look at him.

"Sure." He said with a wary voice.

The next morning, Bankotsu woke up alone. He looked around the Hut, and noticed something he hadn't before. There was a slip covering a part of the back wall. He'd never thought that there would ever be another room, considering the back of the "hut" faces a mountain side. He walked over to it, forgetting the stabbing pain in his abdomen.

He pushed the slip aside and discovered a whole corridor of rooms. They all had slips with different kanji covering them. He stepped into the first one, and found it filled with the bones of demons, some were in a marble bowl; obviously being crushed to powder. Others were strewn about in the midst of knives, waiting to be sharpened into arrow heads.

'_Crafty.'_ He thought.

He stepped out of that room, and into the next one across from it. As he looked, he could see all the powders, labeled, "purification", and "exorcism", and "repel". Others were marked with different things, all in someway relating to demons or antidotes or medicines or common pests. He could see herbs of every color, shape, and size strewn about a cabinet above a small work table. His side stung, but he ignored it. He left that room and went out of the room and back into the corridor.

The next room had no label on it, and he was cautious when he stepped in. It was a strange room, with painted walls, a nice melancholy blue. It had all kinds of reed posters covering the walls, its furniture was nicely sanded down, and it all seemed, so modern. There was a small, shiny, blood red orb hanging on a chain made of demon teeth. He went over to it, perplexed by its alluring light.

"What is thi-?"

"What are you doing back here?" Kagome said, obviously flustered by his intrusion.

"How did you know where to find me?" Kagome pointed to the blood on the floor. Bankotsu looked at his blood-soaked side.

"I followed the red road. You're a fool. You've opened up your wounds again. Now I have to re-bandage them." She gave him a stern look.

"..."

"Follow me." He followed her without protest out of the corridor, and she pointed to his futon. He sat down, and she kneeled next to him.

"Lie down."

"Huh?"

"Lie down." She repeated. He did so, wary of her hands. She pushed him down, and opened his kimono.

"Frisky, are we?" Kagome hit his bleeding side, and in a low whisper he groaned, "Flirty bitch."

"Harsh liability." She smirked in such a suggestive way he flushed pink.

Six and a half months passed, and his bones had all mended, his wounds healed, and he was out in the fields everyday helping Kagome harvest and tend. They were growing radishes, soy, turnips, carrots, and various herbs and other vegetables. Pulling out the turnips were the most problematic.

Kagome had discovered that he'd been poisoned. Whatever it was, danm it to hell, it was winning. His body was slowly deteriorating and she knew it. She was slowly watching him die. It was like before they defeated Naraku, when everyday, she would watch Miroku slowly die. But it had a happy ending. She wasn't so sure about this one.

The days were hot, and Kagome could only work in the fields in the high morning and late evening. Bankotsu helped her as usual, since he simply reminded her that he refused to be a 'liability'.

His body ached, and yet he never complained. She had told him about his poisoning and he took it like a soldier: stone cold and emotionless. Sometimes he would faint because of the silent terrors raging in his body, and Kagome would have to try her best to treat this anonymous assailant.

He woke up early one morning, and yelped in pain. Earlier, the skin around his old side wound had turned a sick blue. The skin had healed, but it was still bleeding on the inside.

"Kagome," He purred, trying to wake her up, "I won't live much longer if we don't find an antidote."

"I know. After all of the herbs I've tried on you, I am finally at a loss." She sat up, and crawled over to sit by his side. She looked out the window, and inspected the soft yellows and blues of the high morn. "We should go and look around the countryside to see if there is anyone who can tell us what you were poisoned with. I can ask the villagers nearby to watch my fields and take care of my abode for a while, but we must not waste time."

"We need 'ta wait until I'm ready."

"I know." She decided to go and prepare a list of what they would need for this journey, and looked over to the slip over the back wall. She turned to get up, but Bankotsu grabbed her hand in a dead lock with his. She ripped her head to the side to look at him.

"I cannot die here, Kagome." The anxiety and fatigue in his eyes made her sewn heart rip a bit at the seams. He was making her blush. Her blood was suddenly rushing, and she looked hard into his eyes with utter astonishment. "I want to live until I am old, not die young a second time." She grasped his hand in hers, her head spinning with delight and confusion. "I _must_ live." His grip on her hand tightened.

"I will not let you die, not yet." Their gazes never faltered.

Kagome set out the next morning to go to Sango's village. It was early morning, and she had left the willful Bankotsu in the village's care. She had just stepped not but ten yards out her door, when she heard Bankotsu call her name.

"Kagome," He yelled. She stopped and turned to him, seeing that he was in the doorway, and now coming to her. "Where are you going?" He blurted out as he caught up to her.

"I am going to a village somewhere in this vicinity to visit a friend. She might know what your ailment is."

He stared at her, and his lips quivered, failing to come up with words. He looked down and muttered something inaudible. He looked up at her again, and said, "How long will you be gone?" His gaze again lowered to the ground.

She looked to the North, at the mountain, to the East, at the rising sun and the harmonious colors of the morning, and to the south, her intended path, which led directly into the Inuyasha forest.

"Most likely a day, maybe less. If you need something, ring the bell on the side of the hut, and a villager will come and attend to you."

"Ok."

"I should get started if I were to make good time. Bye then." She stepped back, and walked toward the forest. He walked to the hut's entrance, and she called out, suddenly remembering, "Bankotsu!" She yelled. He turned in her direction. "A villager will be by in an hour or two to break your fast. Hang tight until then." He nodded, and went back into the hut.

**Later... **

It was now early afternoon, and Kagome was still traversing in the forest. As she walked, she could hear the gurgling stream beside her tickle her ears. Her quiver bothered her back, and she went back to scratch it, remembering a special moment in her life, one that happened right here; before the misery...

_Kagome ran away from him, giggling, and turning to him just to wave and show off her own current happiness. He glided past her with a soft chuckle, and wrapped his arms around her waist. _

"_I'm not _that_easy to catch!" She said as she gracefully slid out of his embrace. _

"_Are you sure?" He said as he chased after her._

"_Positive!" She sped up her pace, and was two feet in front of him. He chased after her, and listened to her soft giggles. He couldn't help but to let a grin slide onto his blissful countenance. She turned around and stopped, waiting for him to come to her. As soon as he was an arm's length away, she grabbed the red collar of his kimono, and pulled his body flush against hers, leaving no space in between. She looked up to his rough and comely face, and took in his pine-like forest aroma. It had a mysterious muskiness, and Kagome was mystified by him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and shoulders, enveloping her in his bodily scent. She melted to him, and laid her head in the crook of his neck. He held he like that for a while, before he could hold it no longer. He nudged her head up, and when she looked into his eyes, he kissed her softly on the lips. Her eyes lit up, and then closed, slowly, looking at his peaceful face. She wrapped her arms around his neck._

She let a smile slip on her face, and then snapped back into reality. She continued to walk along with the company of the stream, for it was her only guide to the village. She felt _his_ aura nearby. She quickly placed a concealment talisman on her chest, and along with her manifestation, her aura and scent were hidden. She continued to walk along the stream, and every once in awhile she could she a flash of red. _His_ kimono. It wasn't until after she had exited the forest that she took the talisman off.

She was still alongside the stream, which had now become a river, and followed it directly into the village. She walked over to Kaede's old hut, and knocked on the side of the door frame before going in.

"It's Kagome," she said softly. As her head entered, she could see Sango, sitting around the fire, stirring something up, and trying to stir it over her growing belly. She turned and looked up, excitement covering her whole face.

"Kagome!" She jumped up and was at her side in a split second. She gave her a big squeeze. "It has been so long since I've last seen you!" Kagome returned the hug, and guided Sango back to her seat next to her pot. "How are you?"

"How am I? Look at you! You've got another in there! How far along are you?"

"Ha, I believe I'm about eight months, and ready to burst. Miroku is so happy." She again tended to the stew.

"I can understand that. Having a big family is all he ever wanted. Where is my little god son, Hiroshi?"

"Oh, I imagine he's out with his father. He's almost two, you know."

"He's growing so fast. Do you think this one will be a girl?"

"I imagine. It'd be nice." She continued to tend to her stew. "You know what this stew is for?"

"I am almost positive that you will tell me anyway."

"You're right. It's for the Festival of the Kamis. Monks, Priests, and Priestesses are all celebrated for their dedication. It's tonight."

"Oh, no, I can not stay! I came for a visit, and a consultation."

"But you must! It's all in yours and Miroku's honor. It wouldn't be right to have it without you!"

"I can't; I am taking care of someone, and they're waiting for me at my house near the mountain."

"Who is?"

"Its Bankotsu. He is still alive." Sango's eyes widened.

"Why are you taking care of him?"

"I took pity on him about two months ago, when I found him badly beaten and poisoned. I've been taking care of him since, and in return he had been helping out with my fields."

"I could have sworn he had died in Mt. Hakurei."

"I did too; but I guess we were wrong. His bones have all mended, but he is still poisoned. I have run out of ideas as to what it could be." Sango got serious.

"Why are you keeping him alive?"

"I can not kill him, I have no reason."

"He's tried to kill you before, do you not remember?"

"He was under Naraku's control. I can't hold that against him."

"Why are you defending him?"

"...I don't know. All I came here for was help, not a lecture."

"Alright. Fine then, what are his symptoms?"

"He gets nauseas when he smells certain herbs, he gets a lot of cramps, and an old wound of his is a nasty blue, even after it has closed."

"Does he ever wake up at night and vomit?"

"Yes, once or twice every month. Do you have an idea yet?"

"Almost. Any diarrhea?"

"I think so; but I've never checked." Sango sighed.

"I love your kimono; the Wisteria is such a pretty red." She added a few more ingredients to the stew, and then looked to Kagome. "He has been poisoned, you were correct."

"What is it?" Sango gave her a stern look.

"Wisteria. Not just any. The high mountain blood wisteria. It looks as if someone is trying to mock you, Priestess Kagome." Kagome's face turned to stone.

"Thank you, Sango. I know what to do now. I think I'll pay your son and Miroku-san a visit."

"Do try and stay, Kagome."

"I might." Kagome got up, and left the hut, fully knowing that she did not intend to stay. She walked over to the middle of town, and spotted Miroku, Hiroshi, and a few other villagers help put up the decoration across the trees. Miroku turned around and looked at her.

"Kagome! What a surprise!" As soon as Hiroshi heard his Godmother's name, he let go of his father's leg, and screamed.

"Aunt Kagome!" He yelped, and ran over to her, jumping up for a hug. Kagome picked him up, and hugged him. She held him like that for a while, just as if her were her own child. "Did'ya bring me a present?"

"Of course I did!" she fished a bag out of her kimono's pocket. "I brought you menko!" he snatched it from her hands, and yelped joyfully.

"Yay! All the other boys will be so jealous!" He gave her another hug, and jumped down from her waist, and ran over to some of his friends, and they all cooed and awed.

"Thank you, Kagome. Another thing for him to lose and me to go and help him find. Again." Kagome laughed.

"Anytime, Miroku. Do you remember what the antidote for a blood wisteria poisoning is?

"Yes- wait, why? You aren't poisoned, are you?"

"No. But Sango will fill you in. What of the antidote?"

"Oh. You'll need to go into the mountains, and get another herb, also poisonous, Anthurium. You'll need to have bees make honey out of its nectar, which is common in the mountains, and get it, then have the victim eat the honey. It will take a few days, and a few fevers, but afterwards, the victim should be okay again." Kagome smiled, and thanked him with a hug.

"I should be off again, thank you, Miroku." With that, she left the village. She entered the forest, and saw a flash of the red kimono.

'_No...' _She thought. _'I forgot to put on the talisman!'_

**End of chapter 6.**

**Cliffhanger. Yes.**

**Just to clear up anything, the village Kagome is priestess to is not the same as Kaede's old village. She is the priestess to another village on the other side of the Inuyasha forest.**

**Read it, **

**Review it,**

**Love **_**me.**_** hahaha! Just kidding.**

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**auroral boleyn.**


	7. The Hunt

0hmiygawd-

If you expect me to be sorry for not updating in 2 months, then you are dead wrong. I will not apologize for writer's block. Stephanie Meyer's books are exactly my brand of heroin. (Heh heh heh! Book quote! :J)

0h, and kittyb78 gets special recognition for this chapter. She helped me a lot! Thank you!

The Sunshine's Rays, Chapter 8.

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Higurashi Kagome

As I woke that morning, Bankotsu had broken into a sweat. He was shivering rapidly in his feverish sleep. I got out of bed quickly and pulled his covers off, afterwards slowly removing his haori. His whole body glistened with its own moisture. I grimaced, realizing just how potent this poison was. He mumbled incoherently in his slumber, and I tried unsuccessfully to make out what he'd said into words. Abandoning my attempt, I removed the old bandages from his tattered body, and set them into the dying embers of last night's fire.

I stood up and went into the back room where I kept all of my medicinal herbs. After rummaging a while in one of the cabinets, I found some long, clean strips of cloth, and washcloths in a bowl, already wet with lemon juice. I took haste in returning to his side.

I bent down on my knees to him, and started to rub the juice into his wounds. I wondered how much it would sting when it started to disinfect his skin. I was too cowardly to try it for myself. When I had successfully wiped all of the wounds clean, I re-bandaged them. I decided that I did not want to wake him, and so I folded his haori neatly, and placed it next to his head. I took what remained of last night's dinner, and placed them onto the extra strips of cloth. I went to the shelf next to the doorframe, and I picked up the last box of matches I had left, and weighed it in my hand.

"_Not too many left,"_ I thought to myself. I slipped my hand into the box, grabbed a match and struck it on the side. I threw the match into the fire pit, and watched the dying pyre spring back to life. I sighed, and placed the carton back on the shelf.

I reheated the food slowly, taking my time. I needed to think about the best path for a "hike" up the mountainside. Bankotsu was in almost no condition to be climbing up a mountain, but I was certain that he wouldn't let me see through his cocky façade. He would go with me if I asked, of that I was sure. If we followed a mountain river upstream, we might be able to see a variety of Anthurium, but I was still not entirely sure of how to get bees to make honey out of it. If I was lucky, there was a colony of them that already did. But luck was never on my side. Gods know, that anyone trying to protect me was tempting fate. Inuya- I stopped in the middle of that thought, and shivered at the mention of his name in my mind. I didn't want to remember what my foolishness had cost me last night. Talismans were simple enough, and yet I seemed to be stupid enough to not put mine back on. Now look what it had cost me...

I released myself from my torment, and abandoned his memory. Back to the task at hand. I decided on the river theory, and now all I had to do was relocate that one river. Of course I didn't know its name. All the things that I couldn't put a name to earned the title of "that one"... My own stupidity made me loathe not... having maps. Maps. Now there was a nice thought. Sure. A map of Feudal Japan really had existed in my time. I scoffed. Oh, how convenient that could have been. I itched my nose, and realized that his breakfast was close to burning. I swirled it around in the pot a few times for good measure, and popped it onto the cloths.

Kneeling down to his side again, I touched my hand to his forehead, sweeping the thick bangs out of his eyes. His purple diamond tattoo was still vivid, as if it was new. I switched my attention to his temperature, and realized that It was way better than last night. We shouldn't have too much trouble going up the mountainside. I pulled my hand away. Almost immediately, his eyes shot open, and his hand grabbed my wrist. His pupils were still dilated from his deep sleep. When they refocused, his grasp withered, and his mouth softened, smirking that stupid, stupid, arrogant smile.

"See something you like, priestess?" his mouth closed on the last syllable, and his eyes glowed with mirth.

I snorted. "No," I said in an even tone. I really _was_ a mood killer.

He scowled, realizing that he wasn't going to get a rise out of me. His nose twitched, and he turned his head to the side. "Breakfast..." he breathed. So gracefully, looking more like dancing than anything else, he walked over to it, and sat next to the fire pit, and heartily ate what I had made for him.

"You eat?" He asked in slang not entirely appropriate for addressing a Priestess of the Gods.

"Yes," I lied. Keeping my face blank was a fleeting talent that I had. He saw through me. Danm.

"Have some of this. It's better than it was last night." I smiled at his compliment. But, oh no. He was a mercenary. Compliments were not in his character. As soon as the smile of gratification smeared on my face, he blanked. His mouth twisted into a scowl. "Not that it was that good in the first place," he mumbled to himself. I let that one go.

"I will be fine. I'm not hungry." That was true enough. I left his empty bedside, and went to pick up the katana that had been rendered useless since his arrival. I walked to the slip at the back of the hut, and opened it wide enough for myself to slide in.

"Where you goin'?" he sputtered through his food. I didn't even turn to face him.

"I have tasks to complete before we head up the mountain. Don't come back here." I closed the slip behind me, and went to the room with all the demon bones.

I unsheathed the katana, dull from so many recent killings, and placed it on the worktable. I grabbed the nearest demon tooth, and started my work. It was tenuous, and the strain hurt my arm. I finished in about an hour, almost completely forgetting the assassin, or manslayer, or murderer, or mercenary, or whatever he was. He was probably pissed by now. I re-sheathed the katana, and wiped the steel dust off from my hands onto my hakamas. When they caught and stuck, I brought them to my face in a blur. I had already smelled a gratuitous amount of salt and rust in the air. When I saw them, my eyes widened.

I was bleeding.

The tool I used was equally sharp on both sides. I had trained myself to bear inflicted pain, but this was just stupid. I had deep gashes on the insides of both my palms. Luck be a lady tonight.

"Shit," I cursed under my breath, looking at the blood on my hakamas. I just put a bloody palm print on my favorite, _white_ hakamas. If I didn't disinfect my hand, because Gods know what kind of -I shuddered- _things_ could have been tucked into the chinks of my katana, they could become infected.

And how do we disinfect things in the era that has no Neosporin? Lemon juice. How fortuitous. I walked out of the room and across the hall, grabbing cloths. All I needed now was the lemon juice, which was conveniently on the herb table. I had almost had a heart attack when I thought that I had left it in the front room, with Bankotsu. If he saw the cuts, he would loose some, if not all of his respect for me. That is, if he even had any. I only prepared all his food and nursed him while he was incapacitated. No biggie. Now here for the courage.

I really need a heart.

Stupid, stupid catchy American jingles.

I took the rag out of the bowl, and wrung it in my hands.

Bad move.

The stinging was terrible. It was unbearable. It isn't fair, it isn't nice. A lady doesn't wonder all over the room, and blow on some other guy's dice. So, let's keep the party polite, never get out of my sight. Stick with me baby, I'm the guy that you came in with. Luck be a Lady, Luck be a lady, Luck Be a Lady, toniiight.

"Nice tune," Bankotsu whispered as his arms circled around my waist from behind me. During all my efforts to clean the wounds without screaming, I hadn't realized that I was singing out loud. By the time I become conscious of his arms around me, and wanted to release myself from his embrace, he plucked a quick kiss on my neck and untangled himself. He chortled at the startled look on my face. I hadn't even sensed him coming into the room. No, no, no. I am not Kikyo.

He spun me around to face him.

"Let me help you with that." He took the cloth in his hands, and gingerly, more so than I thought he was capable of, tended to the proof of my stupidity. He was probably thinking of how foolish I was, to cut myself.

"This was an accident, right?"

"No," My voice was dripping with sarcasm. "I'm suicidal."

"What?" He said as he looked up.

I scoffed.

"Never mind it. I was jesting."

"Ok," His eyes released their hold on mine, and he continued rubbing my hands with the cloth. As he was washing my hands in the vile liquid, I got a chance to look at him.

A mere shadow of the man he used to be.

Dark circles hung stubbornly under his eyes, his face now pale with sickness. Even his clothes' once bright and fear striking familiar colors were faded. His hair was longer, making him look like an imitation of the Shinchinitai leader that he used to be, and was now free flowing and thick. The only thing that hadn't changed were his deep blue eyes. His eyes?

"Breathe, Kagome." The voice was firm; gentle in an unfamiliar way. His gaze had been on me. When had he looked up? Why hadn't I noticed it?

I took a breath in, obediently. How did that happen? He still looked at me, and dropped my hands, and patted my back roughly. A sly smirk creased on his tan face. I looked down at my hands. Bandaged, and I hadn't noticed the rest of the pain. I straightened out my confused thoughts.

"You've finished breaking your fast, I take it." I shrugged and brushed off the hand that rested on my shoulder. I walked out of the door, the hallway, and into the front room. Bankotsu followed at a distance.

"Yeah," he finally said.

"We need to get going today, and head up the mountain. I have things I need to get up there." I kept my tone cool and even. I didn't want him to know why we were going up, and so I let my eyes roam around the room, falling anywhere but his eyes.

"Alright." He went over to the corner and picked up his Banryuu. He slung the massive halberd over his shoulder like a towel. Effortless. "When do you want to leave?"

"Right now, if you don't mind." I eyed his face for any sign of disdain. And when it didn't appear, I secured my katana at my hip, and retrieved my bow and my full quiver of arrows. "Give me a minute while I check for everything." I went into the herb room, and changed into peachy-tan hakamas, leaving the bloodstained white ones to soak in cold water. They'd be pink by the time I came back, but I'd have to sacrifice them. Bankotsu's life was a little more important... I made sure that all of the hidden daggers that I carried were secure and in the right place, as I did with all my poisons, talismans-I shivered-, and only when everything was in place, I ducked into the last room. It was sitting on its perch, glowing with a pure, red aura. I'd hoped that I could always keep it that way, too. I couldn't imagine what would happen if it fell into tainted hands.

I sighed, put it in a fold of my haori, and walked out to the front room again. Bankotsu wasn't there. He was outside, waiting. I walked out to find him, and he was leaning against the wall near the door frame.

"Hey there," Danm his husky voice to the seven hells. "You ready?"

"Yes. We'll follow the river up the mountains to the highest point it leads. That's where I need to go."

"Alright."

--

We walked for what felt like hours, using only the greenery to tell us where the river was. It was time-consuming. When we came upon it, I nearly jumped in. It was so hot outside, and it might have been the coolest place we've been to. I was lucky that there were so many trees overshadowing its bank. Shade was a lovely, lovely thing. Bankotsu was obviously hot, too, because he stole my idea. He started to strip down, and I whipped my head to the north, upstream from the river so that I couldn't see him.

"Kagome," He asked, as he swam by my side, going against the current. "Hold onto my clothes for me." This wasn't a request. Ugh.

I didn't even protest, or whine. I knew he would do what he wanted. This was out of my hands. He makes me so frustrated! I walked back to where he dropped all of his clothes, and picked them up.

To my horror, he left me a present, Banryuu, and all of his armor. I sighed loudly, enough so that I had hoped he'd hear my disgust. I readjusted everything I was carrying for him, and closed my eyes, concentrating on Banryuu's memory. When I opened them, Banryuu was erect, and floating, glowing with a pink aura. I turned around and walked forward, knowing that it would now follow. I caught up to Bankotsu, still carrying his armor and clothes.

"What trickery is this?" He was bewildered by his floating halberd.

I scoffed.

"Not trickery," I said carefully, "Power." It was his turn to laugh. I hoped he'd choke on water. His things were getting to be a burden. We followed up the river for, I think it was ten minutes? That sounded right. The temperature had dropped, and more clouds were obscuring the sunshine's rays. I saw a bunny duck into its hole, and I looked around for any foxes. I neither saw nor sensed any. I looked up into the sky again, and the clouds were filling up the sky, giving everything around me a soft bluish glow. They were dark, and I expected rain. The air was already heavier.

Bankotsu snorted at my last remark, and swam a bit faster upstream. We had already gone quite far up the mountainside. From this height, I could already see the village that I protected. I could barely make it out, but I thought I could see some people leaving the work in their fields, they too expected rain.

A simple existence. An existence that I would never again know.

I looked up into the sky again, and saw that the sky was now completely filled with dark grey clouds.

"Bankotsu," I said softly, knowing that he could hear me. "We need to find shelter for the night. It's going to storm." He stopped swimming, and I walked up to his side. He was holding onto the bank. I stopped, and waited for his verdict.

"Alright." He said as he pulled himself out of the river. Nude. I turned swiftly to the opposite direction. "Oh, come on, priestess. You know you want me." When I didn't respond, he spoke again. "Can I have my clothes now?" I laughed softly, throwing them behind me, and after that I released Banryuu from my "grasp".

"Thanks." I heard the ruffling of clothing, and the clink of armor being put into place. He walked to my side and put his arm around my shoulder. I looked up at him, he was still glistening with the river water; his hair drenched and fixed to his face and back. I pushed the bangs and plaits of hair from out of his face, and looked up at him.

"Don't push my hand away," he begged, although it seemed to be more like an order. I looked away, and walked forward, with him still glued to me. I looked around –anywhere but his face- and searched for anything, a cave, an abandoned hut, a village that I could say (lie to be more accurate) needed an exorcism, what I called "Pulling a Miroku". Maybe the shelter of a weeping willow? We kept walking, all the while his arm around me, making me nervous, with the occasional rub on the arm from him. We weren't just walking around, we kept going up the mountain, and I was getting a bit tired. The sky was dark and bleak, and it started to trickle. I walked faster, again looking for shelter.

We walked farther up the mountain, and a downpour started. I ran now, and he let go of my shoulder, loosening his grip on me and sliding his hand down to mine. He gripped it. I looked behind me, startled, and when he smiled, I smiled back, and I gripped his, acknowledging it. We ran side by side, until finally, Gods be praised, we found the answer to my prayers. An abandoned hut. I slipped inside and jackknifed onto the futon that I found, exhausted. There was only one marital futon in here, and I suppose that Bankotsu thought that we would share it. He sat beside me.

"What time is it?" He asked softly.

"I think it was about five o'clock, in the afternoon."

"Are we going 'ta wait until the rain stops to get dinner? I haven't had anything since breakfast."

I scoffed.

"I haven't had anything in two days," I mumbled to myself. I didn't think he heard me. He laid back on the futon, and patted the spot next to him. I obediently laid down next to him, keeping my distance. I turned away.

"Giving the cold shoulder, are we?" He mocked. I ignored him, and I closed my eyes, concentrating on the thundering and pulsations of the rain. He sighed when he realized that I wasn't about to talk, and scooted closer to me, -still wet, I noted- and pulled the blanket around us, and then silently wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me to him. He laid his head on my shoulder, and I stiffened. "Don't worry," he whispered into my ear, "I won't hurt you." I reveled at his words. Won't hurt me? Won't hurt me?! Now where had I heard those words before? Yes, those were the half demon's words. Won't hurt me. Hmm... Well, he wasn't that half demon.

I eased up, and snuggled the blanket to me, drifting.

_'He won't hurt me,'_ I thought.

--

"Kagome," A soft voice said. Someone was shaking me, too. "Kagome, the storm stopped." I opened my eyes reluctantly. I was so comfortable, and warm. I didn't want to wake up. My eyes refocused, and I saw black. I pulled away from it, and realized, that whilst I was sleeping, I had snuggled into Bankotsu's chest, with his arms around me protectively. I got up with a start. He pulled me back down, into his arms, and rubbed my back.

"I told you that I wouldn't hurt you. Calm down." Why did I always do whatever he said?

"I'm alright." I said after a while. I slowly disentangled myself from his limbs, and sat on my knees.

"That's a lovely shade of crimson." He chuckled as he ran the back of his hand across my cheek, and rested it on my cheekbone. I felt myself go several shades deeper, and I know he saw it because he laughed softly. I looked down, his hand still on my face. "You know, you talk in your sleep." I looked up in fright. What had I said? Oh Gods.

"What did-" He cut me off, of course.

"You said my name in your sleep. And a few other things. But I'll save those for later, for black mail." That stupid, stupid arrogant smile was plastered on his face. I pouted, and got up. I walked to the door, and popped my head out of the side of the slipcover. It had stopped raining, but there was still lightning.

"I'm going to go hunt," I said as I grabbed my bow and quiver. I walked out of the hut, and I looked around me. We were farther up the mountain than I expected to do in a day. I was a bit relieved, in truth; I had thought we had not gone very far. I started to run, watching and listening for any animal like sound, a footfall, snorts, rustles of fir, the brushing against of trees or bushes.

Gotcha.

I ran over to the side, and pulled a bow out of my quiver. I aimed, and then fired. I heard the clanging of metal on metal in the distance.

"Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa! Kagome! It's me!" Bankotsu screamed.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, offended.

"As if I'd let you hunt alone in an unfamiliar area!" he shouted from across the distance.

"I know this area better than you do!" I yelled as he emerged from the darkness, and into the meadow that I was in. I could now see him through the moonlight.

"I doubt that." He snickered. He walked no more than an arm's length away.

"Do you always watch me hunt?"

"No." His voice quivered a bit.

"Truly?" I asked, not convinced.

"A few times before, but not every time."

"Oh, is that so?" I made an upward inflection on the last word, and put my hand to my chin in a sarcastic manner.

He faltered, and then gave in. "No, I watch you every time you hunt. But not before I knew you. Didn't you ever find it strange that I was always sweating when you came back? You're faster than I thought."

"I don't like this." I said as I crossed my arms.

"Well, what if I don't watch you, and I just help you hunt?"

"I don't need help."

"I don't like this." He said, mocking me.

"I don't really care."

"Yes you do." He walked closer, the distance between us closing fast,

"N-no, I don't." He closed the distance, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and waist, melting his body to mine.

"Oh, I think you do." His head dipped in; his eyes locked on mine. He kissed the base of my neck, and I took in a shaky breath. He trailed kisses up my neck, kissing and nibbling my earlobe, and then blowing on it, earning a moan of surprise out of me, one that I immediately regretted. He then kissed my jaw line, and placed kisses all along my cheek. He led himself up to my parted lips, and kissed the corners of my mouth. My eyes widened considerably. He went in for the last kiss, one he wished to bestow upon my lips, and I gasped as his lips were millimeters away from mine.

I tore myself out of his grasp, keeping my head as far away from his as possible. When I detached my body and limbs from his, I looked up to see his face. We were now almost five feet away from each other.

He was smiling. He looked like he just won the grand prize! "Kagome," he whined. "You didn't let me have my fun!" He looked like a spoiled child who got his candy taken from him.

"I'll show you fun." I muttered as I walked away, still breathless from his intoxicating kisses. "Asshole." I whispered to myself. I hadn't spoken a cuss word in almost two years. Out loud, at least. I had to hunt for dinner; for even I was getting hungry.

--

When we returned to the hut, _together_-I groaned-we hadn't spoken since I had called him an asshole. He deserved that, and I didn't even want to talk to him. I more or less would rather shoot my own foot than do so. And I wanted to take a shower. Really bad. I wanted to get rid of his kisses. I definitely wasn't prepared for that. At all. It almost came out of no where.

I was cooking his fish, and I added more daikon radishes to the mix, for more flavor. I thought about his kisses. Had I led him on? Had I done anything to make him think that I wanted him in any way? Was I a tease? Ugh. Well, I had never chastised him for kissing me on the neck after he caught me singing, I hadn't released myself from his grasp when we were looking for shelter. And had I let him think that his advances were welcome, naught but a moment ago? I was so frustrated.

* * *

Happy now? I hope you are. This took a few days, and I like it, so I hope you do, too. I hope you know that I do tab the paragraphs, but the stupid document editor just gets rid of them when I upload it. Whatever. Its troublesome.

Read it,

Love it,

Review it.

auroral boleyn.


	8. Massacre

"**..." I was on Monster Energy when I wrote the majority of this entry (:**

**SIDE NOTE**

**Some information in this chapter may not make sense, considering my lack of research skills. If you find an error dealing with anything relating to Japanese culture, or the country's geography, please ignore it while reading and then inform me of it when you review. But, please don't just go through it looking for errors... I tried, kaykay? I'm only familiar with the Japanese culture presented in anime. (lol)**

* * *

As she stirred the food, thoughts of his bold behavior coursed through her veins; the softest color of scarlet stained her cheeks, an inviting blemish that did not go unnoticed. She quickly slipped a vile of liquid out from her sleeve and let a few drops of the substance fall into his portion.

"It's ready." She said in an even tone after she slipped the vile back into the folds of her haori. She handed him his fish, and, for a fleeting moment, their fingertips touched, causing sweet electricity to pass through them both, and when she looked up at him through her lashes, she saw him staring straight back down at her. She, again, flushed and noted to herself that he had a muted sparkle in his eyes. A careful look.

What seemed like hours only lasted half a second; it was a trance that was broken by another brush of fingers. He took his helpings into his hand, and swallowed his meal down like a starved man. She eyed him with her nose held high, having finally regained her sensibilities. She took her own small ration, and ate silently while standing by the slip, watching the rain pound the parched earth, stiffening after she finished because of his soft footfalls when he crept behind her.

"When I was little," he began, "I used to hate the rain... I was a little heathen, and my mama used to get a lot of grief from me, always rolling in dirt and jumping into koi ponds to frighten 'em." A smile played on his mouth; his eyes sparkling with memories. He wiped a stray drop of rain from his brow as he watched it fall with her. She, seeing this, quickly wiped any foreign substances from her face.

"What made you this way?" She asked, now looking at him, smirking when she saw a skeptical look on his face. Clearing her throat, she started again,

"I mean, of course, how did you become-" He interrupted her line of speech.

"-A monster? A blood lusting and vengeful assassin?" The veins in his temple were pounding, the knuckles in his hand clutching the doorpost whitened with strain.

She stared at him for a while, then, after she heard him sigh and release his grip on the post, she gawked at the crumpled and mangled mess he made of the part he'd clutched so tightly. She closed her mouth, only then realizing that it had been hanging open.

"That isn't what I was going to say."

"Well, then, what did you mean?" He snapped. She looked up at him, slightly wary, and then started again.

"What I was going to say, if you'll let me," She eyed him, "was, how did you become who you are? Who were your parents? Where are you from? How many siblings did you have? Did you have a pet? What was it like growing up where you were?" He smirked and continued staring into the rain, which had by now begun to pour. Lightning clashed in the sky, awakening him from his reprieve. He then turned to her and said,

"I believe you're asking me about my upbringing, young miko."

"I am. So do indulge me with all the details, no matter how gory. I can handle it. Or them."

"Oh, I know you can." He let a teasing smirk play on his features. He inclined his head and turned back to the rain.

"Yes, now. Get on with it. I'm intrigued." She crossed her arms and let the post support her as she leaned onto it.

"Alright. Well, I'll just go in order of those questions you threw at me."

"Pray, do begin." He huffed, and a faraway look came into his eyes.

"I grew up in the mountains, high up near the coast. My father, Lord Bankotsu Jimeiji II, owned most of the mountains, and conquered most all the land we've been walking. And even more lands up north. My mother, Ami, was a princess from one of my father's many conquests, and she was, as he'd said, "One of the most lustrous jewels he had ever laid eyes on". He married her the week after he'd met her, and, nine months later, young Prince Bankotsu Jimeiji III, me, came into this diseased world.

"My mother died giving birth to my two little sisters, Ami and Kimiko. I had two brothers by my mother, Jiro and Mamoru, but Mamoru died at three from the Red Death.

"I was to inherit most of my father's lands, but my brothers would get their fair share too. About three months after my mother died, my father remarried to Lady Etsu, another princess from his conquered lands. She gave him two boys, twins, Taro and Kyoshi. And two young girls, Etsu and Aiko, but Aiko died at birth, Along with her mother, Lady Etsu.

"When Ami and Kimiko turned 14, they were both married off for treaties. So, with those girls out of the way, my father started marriage negotiations for me. I was already in love with a girl by the name of Urameshi Sakura, who sired two of my bastards, Mamoru II and Ami. Well, regardless of my wishes to marry Sakura and make our children legitimate, my father gave me my first bride, Princess Umeko, another peace treaty marriage. I was heartbroken, but, I carried out my duty to my father by siring a son, Bankotsu Jimeiji IV. I didn't even try to touch her afterwards, considering Sakura was so hurt." Pain crept into his bloodshot eyes.

"All of my brothers and I were always in on his war planning meetings, and I used to be proud to say I was his most trusted advisor..." He smirked and started again. "A huge war broke out, and our enemies started by giving siege to two of our allies, my brother in law's, and thus hanging my sisters, while both were pregnant, and forcing their husbands to commit Seppuku. And as a favor, they sent my brother in laws' tantos along with their war missives. So my father remarried, to another conquest princess, Lady Yura, who died along with her child, Umeko, in honor of my shrew of a wife. Thus my father was left with five legitimate male heirs. My four brothers and my son. But, Jiro had his share of bastards, too. He'd had two mistresses and three children by them.

"So, my male family and I went off to war, leaving the young princes behind with my wife. We made sure that we left a good portion of defenses there, but, our enemies breeched them, hung my wife, and forced my brothers, Taro and Kyoshi, and, my one year old son to commit Seppuku." He clutched the dagger at his hip, unsheathed it, and with great force and swiftness, stabbed it into the post. Kagome looked from it to him, and then gripped the dagger. She used so much force to pull it out, that she fell and hit her back on the opposite post. She then handed him the dagger. He sheathed it, and then continued with his story.

"Now my father had only two legitimate heirs, and only my own bastard, and Jiro's bastard, Jiro II. So then Jiro's third whore came, a bitch named Izanami. She turned out to be an enemy spy, and had poisoned Jiro's food. He died after rutting her, in his sleep, and when I found his body in the morning, she was there, too, sleeping peacefully as if she didn't know that my last brother laid dead and cold next to her. I figured out her guilt the next day, and she was the first woman I ever killed." His face strained a smile. "And, from ten children in nineteen years, my father had only one heir left. We were loosing that war, and we both knew it. My coward of a father committed suicide or what he wanted me to believe was Seppuku. I was nineteen, with only one living half sister, Etsu, who was by then twelve. I forced her and my bastards, for Jiro's had been killed by then in sieges, to flee to the Continent with one of my most trusted Samurai, Izuka. With my father's suicide, I was left to lead a hopeless war.

"I lead the last battle, and I was nearly killed. I was picked up by an old priestess, unlike you in all ways. She was more like a witch woman. She gave me a deal: In exchange for my mortal soul, she would give me immortality and invincibility in order to conquer my enemies. I took it, killed all of my enemies, all of their relatives and heirs, and put up my bastards and my brother's bastards up for succession. I kept their lands small but bountiful, and to keep its existence a good, not secret, but relatively unknown place. In order to complete all of my tasks, I had to gain powerful comrades, who you used to know as the Shinchinitai. We all killed the witch woman together, and with her dying breath, she took away my immortality and placed a curse on me. 'To the Seventh Hell I Curse You and All of Your Lives to Come'. She placed the diamond mark on my head, and after some research, I discovered that it would remain on this exact spot," He tapped it, "throughout all of my reincarnations. I really was damned to Hell. It lets the pallbearers of the afterlife know exactly where I'd go until my next rebirth." He folded his arms across his chest, and walked out into the rain. Kagome followed, spellbound by his story. He was getting soaked by the rain, and lightning was crashing down very near them. She walked up to his side, and watched his face.

"We, the Shinchinitai, were all beheaded after a life of blood soaked hands.

"Blah blah blah and then Naraku resurrected us, then your friends killed us. And then, for Kami knows what reason, here I am _now_." His arms exaggerated the word by flailing out to his sides, gesturing to everything around them. They dropped to his sides with a slap. He pushed back past her and back into the hut. Still toiling over his life, Kagome stood, drenched, in the rain, shell shocked. When she composed herself, she ran back into the house.

* * *

When they went to sleep that night, Bankotsu and Kagome slept back to back.

* * *

The morning air was humid and heavy when Kagome woke up. She opened her eyes and saw a bluish grey light. She realized that she was tangled up in Bankotsu's limbs, with his arms securely around her. She pulled away from him and sat up. She could see that rain was lightly falling outside. She moved to the door to watch it, and pulled out the vile of liquid from her haori sleeve.

_'Because of the sodium pentothal, Bankotsu revealed everything to me... He must be sleeping it off now...'_

* * *

**I am psychic, **_**non**_**?**

**Because I sense many of you looking up seppuku and sodium pentothal. **

**This chapter was a shit load of work and research. I spent hours, HOURS! Of energy and time working out all of the family details. Agh. Too much work. Oh well. I'm really proud of myself!! **

**To see the massive and time consuming "Family Tree" I made for Bankotsu, private message me stating your email, and I'll send a link there.**

**Definitions**

**-the "Red Death" (tuberculosis)**

**-miko (Japanese for priestess)**

**-tanto (ritual dagger used for Seppuku)**

**Thanks!**

**Read it, **

**Review it, **

**Love it more and more. **

**auroral boleyn**


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